WWW Wednesday | 01.02.17

Happy Wednesday friends,

Can you believe that today’s the first of February! A whole month has already gone by!

I’m not quite sure what to think of that…

Wednesday’s are great for book sharing, so why not join in WWW Wednesday hosted by the lovely Sam of Taking on a World of Words!

All you have to do is answer three questions…

1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

This is what my past two weeks have looked like 🙂

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CURRENTLY READING

Game of Shadows by Erika  Lewish

Blurb:

Ethan Makkai thought that seeing ghosts was the worst of his problems. Between his ethereal gift and life with a single mother hell-bent on watching his every move, he feels imprisoned. When Ethan sees a chance to escape, to leave the house by himself for the first time in his life, he seizes it, unaware that this first taste of freedom will cost him everything.

Ethan is thrown into a strange and eerie world, like nothing he’s ever seen. He’s assaulted by dive-bombing birds and rescued by a stranger who claims to be his bodyguard. His apartment is trashed, and his mother is kidnapped to a place Ethan never knew existed—a hidden continent called Tara.

Travelling to Tara in search of his mother, Ethan discovers that everything he knows about his life is a lie. His mother is royalty. His father is not dead. His destiny is likely to get him killed.

Confronted by a vicious sorcerer determined to destroy the Makkai family, Ethan must garner strength from his gift and embrace his destiny if he’s going to save his mother and all the people of Tara, including the beautiful girl he’s fallen for.

I’m not far in this book, but so far I am loving the Celtic tones in the worldbuilding and setting. Otherwise, the plot is highly reminiscent of Percy Jackson and City of Bones.

Update: I got a little further after writing this post and I’m really getting into it! A fun YA adventure!

RECENTLY FINISHED READING

 Summerlong by Peter S. Beagle

Blurb:

Retired history professor Abe Aronson is a cranky, solitary man living out his autumn years on Gardner Island, a ferry ride away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Seattle. One rainy February night, while dining at a favorite local haunt, Abe and his girlfriend Joanna meet an engaging enigmatic waitress, new in town and without a place of her own. Fascinated and moved by the girl’s plight, Joanna invites her to stay in Abe’s garage. It seems everyone falls for the charming and invigorating the waitress, but she is much more than she appears, and an ancient covenant made a millennium ago threatens to disrupt the spring and alter the lives of Abe, Joanna, and all those around them forever…

This was a lovely read, very whimsical and reminiscent of Neil Gaiman. There were some things that niggled me, but overall it was a moving story that left me pondering long after it was done.

 Vicious (Vicious#1) by V.E. Schwab

Blurb:

A masterful tale of ambition, jealousy, desire, and superpowers.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates: brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge. But who will be left alive at the end?

I first discovered V.E. Schwab’s incredible talent for storytelling last year when I read A Darker Shade of Magic. And now, after reading Vicious, I am thoroughly convinced that she is a master of weaving unforgettable narratives with the most incredible characters that are at once flawed and sympathetic! Definitely one of my favourite authors and an auto-buy one too! I can’t wait to read more of her stories ❤

Night Study (Study #5) by Maria V. Snyder

I am leaving out the blurb because there are spoilers for the previous installments. If you want to check out the first book, you can here: Poison Study.

It was an enjoyable story, but it lacked the flare that made me adore the original trilogy! A lot happened since we met Yelena in book one and it had been a long time since I read the fourth book so a lot of my reactions at the beginning were hinged on my brain’s inability to remember plot points from previous installments ;P This happens more and more and assures me that the best way to read a series is to a) binge it or b) reread what came before to remind my mind of what it’s forgotten.

This worries me about the forthcoming A Song of Ice and Fire book (Winds of Winter). Though, there may not be a need for worry, as he might not actually finish it….

Anyway, I preordered the last book in the series and I’ll be reading it in February, because I have to finish it for myself and it’s best done with the most recent book in clear memory.

Desert Jewel by Natalina Reis

Blurb:

Rebellion brews inside Milenda’s heart as the date for the Trials approaches. As the heiress to the throne of Natale, she is forced to choose a consort from the survivors of the grueling quest across the desert.

Milenda’s heart belongs to Jaali and wants no part in the ancient and cruel ritual, but the Elders—the true rulers of Natale—will not back down.

Jaali was brought from the far North as a child slave. His only chance to be with the woman he loves is to volunteer for the Trials, no matter how dangerous or how much Milenda objects.

Together they begin their journey of discovery and rebellion against the Elders. But will their love be enough or will they lose everything they’ve fought for?

A NetGalley book that first caught my attention with the simplicity of the cover. The premise sounded very promising too. Unfortunately, the plot fell a little short and Milenda came across as a weaker protagonist than she should have been as it bogged down in the relationship. But the worldbuilding was wonderful and the setting beautifully unique.

READING NEXT

This is my February TBR, just to give you an idea of where I could go next. Personally, I am most excited to read The Wolves of Calla and A Gathering of Shadows!

 

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Let me know what you’ve been up to in books lately or leave a link to your WWW Wednesday so the love of books can continue to spread 🙂

May inspiration flow like ink upon your quill,

Faith